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Connecticut Winter Thanksgiving Travel: Even Salted I-95 Can Freeze
Hartford, CT – Connecticut drivers preparing to travel Interstate 95, Interstate 84 and Interstate 91 this Thanksgiving may be trusting something that cannot always protect them: road salt. Even fresh
By Jordan Mercer · 2026-11-11T19:02:10.346Z
Hartford, CT – Connecticut drivers preparing to travel Interstate 95, Interstate 84 and Interstate 91 this Thanksgiving may be trusting something that cannot always protect them: road salt. Even freshly treated highways can become dangerously icy when temperatures plunge, creating a hidden winter driving hazard for motorists traveling between Connecticut's major cities and neighboring states.
According to winter maintenance guidance from transportation agencies, traditional road salt becomes increasingly less effective as pavement temperatures approach 20 degrees Fahrenheit, with its ice melting ability declining further as temperatures fall into the teens and single digits.
That's where a common assumption about winter road safety can become dangerous.
Why Even Salted Connecticut Highways Can Freeze Road salt isn't magic. It lowers the freezing point of water, helping melt ice and prevent some freezing when conditions allow.
However, as pavement temperatures fall, the melting process slows considerably. Around 20 degrees, conventional salt works much more slowly than it does near freezing. Below 15 degrees, salt alone may struggle to melt ice quickly enough to improve traction.
For motorists traveling through Hartford in Hartford County, New Haven in New Haven County, Stamford in Fairfield County and New London in New London County, that limitation matters.
Major routes including I 95, I 84, I 91 and the Merritt Parkway can remain slippery despite treatment, particularly on bridges, overpasses and shaded stretches.
Thanksgiving Travel Could Increase the Stakes Thanksgiving falls Thursday, Nov. 26, bringing holiday travelers onto Connecticut's major interstate corridors connecting New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
If snow, freezing rain or rapidly falling temperatures develop during the holiday period, treated pavement could still become dangerously slick.
The risk can increase overnight and early in the morning, when moisture can refreeze as pavement temperatures fall.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation uses multiple winter maintenance strategies, but no treatment guarantees ice free highways under every condition.
Before departing, travelers should check National Weather Service forecasts and CTroads for updated highway conditions.
The bottom line: A salted interstate is not necessarily a safe interstate. Drivers should reduce speed, increase following distances and remain alert for icy patches even when roads appear clear.